Native-American Remedies for Ulcers

Ulcers on the skin or in the stomach can be extremely painful and can require prescription medication or natural alternatives to fully treat them. It is always interesting to look at how other cultures have dealt with such conditions. Native Americans used various herbal remedies to treat ulcers of the skin or stomach in a more holistic way than traditional medicine.

History

• In Native-American culture, the use of herbal remedies serves both religious and medicinal purposes. The picking of herbs is part of a ritual involving specific herbs and gathering them at specific times of the day to honor the earth. Native Americans determined the uses of herbs through trial and error and found out properties of many herbs that we either use today or that have been synthesized into medicines. They use these herbs for the mind, the body, the spirit, along with creating dyes, clothing, and other supplies with the plants and herbs around them. Replanting and replenishing the herbs they harvested are also extremely important.

Symptoms

• Ulcers are mucosal erosions that can occur throughout the body, though the most well known are peptic ulcers that can form in the gastrointestinal tract. Skin ulcers are discontinuous marks on the skin that can be yellowish or white in color that may cause permanent loss of the epidermis in that area. Peptic ulcers may cause abdominal pain near mealtime, bloating and fullness, nausea, the vomiting of blood, and a loss of appetite or weight loss. There may be some connection among heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and peptic ulcers, which if left untreated can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, perforation in the stomach, and penetration of the ulcers into other parts of the body.

Traditional Treatment

• Patients are diagnosed using an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) when a peptic ulcer is suspected or the presence of the causative bacterium Helicobacter pylori can be identified by certain breath and blood tests. Younger patients may be given antacids or H2 antagonists to see if symptoms are reduced. If the Helicobacter pylori is present and exacerbating the ulcer, antibiotics like Amoxicillin may be prescribed with a proton pump inhibitor. If the ulcer gets to the point where it perforates, than an emergency surgery is required. Consult your doctor for more questions about traditional treatment.

Herbal Treatment

• Pau d'Arco is a traditional herbal remedy that has been used by Native South Americans to treat all sorts of conditions including inflamed prostates, asthma, fungal infections, and stomach ulcers. The only effective way to take this herb is in the form of powdered bark in a tablet with around 300 milligram doses three times a day. The pokeroot (referred to as the pocon by the Native Americans) can be used as an herbal cleanser, a reliever of arthritis symptoms, and as a cure for gastric and skin ulcers. Use it as a tincture for gastric ulcers and use it in lotion form for external ulcers. Goldenseal was used by Native Americans to heal arrow wounds and skin ulcers with its natural antibiotic properties. Use it in a lotion or as a wash to treat these conditions.

Warnings

• If you are experiencing symptoms of an ulcer, you should immediately consult a doctor or an herbalist instead of self-treatment. Ulcer symptoms may be related to gastric cancer--- so it is imperative to be tested right away. Some herbal remedies may cause allergic reactions or interact with medications; it is important to talk to a licensed herbalist before beginning an herbal regimen.